Session 3: Organizing for Equity in the Gig Economy

April 22, 2016
3pm - 4pm

Museum of Vancouver

For all of its promises to increase prosperity and sustainability, the so-called "gig economy" has a erosive potential. While this economy is opening up new and more flexible work opportunities, it also raises serious questions about workplace protections, benefits, and quality of jobs—and their impacts on low-wage workers of colour and their communities. As the sector undergoes explosive growth — nearly one in five jobs are now part-time, freelance, “gig” positions — it is a force that those working to build more equitable and resilient cities must engage with. This session will lay out the labor and policy campaigns and debates surrounding the gig economy and share examples that illustrate the risks and opportunities in these job markets for economic inclusion. Participants will leave with a further grounding on the issues and strategies for advancing equity within this emerging sector.